HomeNewsDementia Ambassadors – leading learning and making connections

Dementia Ambassadors – leading learning and making connections

23/02/2018

The fourth national conference celebrating the work of the Dementia Ambassadors took place on 23 February 2018 at the Station Hotel in Perth. Over 100 Ambassadors gathered to celebrate their role in leading learning and making connections to support those working with people living with dementia.

Dementia Ambassadors were created in 2012 as way of promoting and sustaining learning through the Promoting Excellence framework and resources throughout social services and beyond. Today, there are over 850 Dementia Ambassadors working to improve knowledge and skills.

A recent report by the Care Inspectorate, My life, my care home, highlights that dementia care is improving. The report is the result of a year of dedicated inspection work on the care of people living with dementia in 145 care homes. Inspectors found that in 73% of care homes staff roles and responsibilities were aligned with the Promoting Excellence framework and that generally care homes using the framework provided better quality care than those that didn’t.

Professor James McGoldrick, SSSC Convenor, said:

‘The reach and connections generated by this network of over 850 Dementia Ambassadors represents every single local authority area in Scotland. We have Ambassadors in colleges, day care services, mainstream housing services, with most Ambassadors currently working within care homes.

‘Their hard work, valuable networks and contribution to improving lives is recognised and valued by the SSSC and its partners and evidenced in the Care Inspectorate report. Today we celebrate what they do, the progress they continue to make and support their development to influence positive outcomes for people living with dementia.’

The Promoting Excellence framework explains the essential knowledge and skills needed to support people with dementia. The SSSC together with NHS Education for Scotland (NES) lead the implementation of Promoting Excellence and work closely with the Care Inspectorate to help improve standards of dementia care.

Dementia Ambassadors are people in social service and other settings who have volunteered to develop their skills in working with people living with dementia as part of the Promoting Excellence learning framework. There are around 850 active Dementia Ambassadors right across Scotland whose role it is to promote best practice and support colleagues in their knowledge of working with people living with dementia.